Hello

What are your policies on the sterilization of wood (tongue depressors, wooden cotton tip applicators etc.) Can wood be steamed, gassed, dry heat, or gamma radiation?

Thank you for your time.

Rod Lewis, CRCST
CSR Technical Supervisor
Room 1708, Dartmouth General Hospital
325 Pleasant Street
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 4G8

Dear Rod

The policies in most hospitals is to purchase sterile cotton tip applicator and tongue depressors as single packs from industry - because it is more economical than to do this "handwork" in CSSD. Although industry does sterilize these materials mainly with Gamma radiation, it can be done by steam. They should be packed in a single pouch, i.e. they should not have any contact with instruments or trays because of possible wood or lint particle coming off.
I would exclude dry heat because of the high temperature e.g. 180°C/ 30 minutes and gases because there is not control of the desorption of the gases.

Best regards
Josy Holdener